Hi boys and girls, or what have you, Peace! Bird watcher's are always "horny for orni" which leads me to inquire about the various interactions of our avian friends and Burner's. Personally a crew-member and I both tried to tempt an American Pipit to eat granola bars (not) in Center Camp in 2011. A Western Sandpiper, a perfectly dessicated specimen, was found by early arrivals in 2012. The White Pelican shouldn't really surprise us, along with the Hummingbird (2012). Anyone get an id? I'd be interested in any bird/burner interactions enplaya. Certainly a "wildlife" thread would be tempting fate. Thank you for burning!

Well, my buddy also reported on seeing that goose. One mid-day I noticed a Raven land past the outer road, looking in at the city (8:20 and L), waiting for that edible moop. He stood out there and hopped back and forth a couple times. Then I saw him never more. Other than those, the only other bird I saw during the week was when some folks cruised by as we sat in the shade enjoing a cold drink and called Camp THREAT a bunch of pussies. There was that.

My peeps.JPG

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I was the the Temple on Wednesday saying goodbye to my wife who passed away several years ago. I had finished my reflections, wrote a note and placed it with all the others. With tears welling in my eyes, I turned to go. A hummingbird, an Anna's or Ruby throated ( just a guess), flew past my head, close enough to hear his wings. It flew to a red paper lantern someone had placed on an overhang. It inspected the lantern and finding nothing of sustenance, turned its attention to me. It hovered in front of me for a brief moment, cocked his head, and looked into my eyes (of this I am certain). He pivoted and flew of towards the western hills. I was a Virgin and had heard Burners talking about "Burning Man just happened" when odd coincidences happen, I.e. running into people you haven't seen in years or needing something but not knowing it and somehow it appears at the most opportune moment, but it took me several moments to realize "Burning Man just happened" for me. I have no clue as to why this delicate little jewel of a bird graced me with its presence at that moment, I just hope he made someone else's Burn too.

Thanks for the responses. As a boring and pedantic birdwatcher I feel safe saying that the playa, while harsh and hostile to you and I, is, on a fair day, a place of safety and solace to the littlest bird. Clear vision, no lurking places, no ambush sites. No tall grass for the cat. and the distance is not as great nor perilous as any stretch of megatropolis where you live. A big drink and a full crop make for a days ambition in bird world, for all we know. The Hummer? As a birdwatcher, I'd be willing to consider the rufus-throated hummingbird (Selasphorous rufus) because they have a broader range, but nevertheless, that bird likely worked the magic and went straight back where the food was. Birds in health have amazing resiliency, in the ability to gain and drop weight for specific functions and emergencies. Burning man would perhaps be a more perilous venue for birds if we resorted to impromptu menus and invited them to be part of our lunch. As a factoid which often depresses me, Osprey, the world over (!) spend an average of eight minutes getting the days ambition out of the way. What has a billionaire got on that?Again fellow burner's thanks for the info. I'll keep checking this thread.

Also, I invite any objections or additions to these comments. After all, I'm just winging it!!

@lonesomebri: I'd like a closer look at some of those peeps, but the birds I surely know.

@macglenver: Indigenous or local species would have little trouble on the playa. Birds hiding for hours in a vehicle: very unlikely (please post a video otherwise!! I love it), and the chances of survival of a liberated imported species with no playa experience would be perilous in the extreme, to my way of thinking.

@immisterclean - Need I say you are the docent of your own paradigm? So make of the hummer what you wish, just bless yourself. Be sure that hummer was traveling in a casually direct line between two sources of water, which were surrounded by tiny flowers bursting with tiny drops of nectar for a tiny bird. As burning man takes place long after all hummingbird nesting has been completed, your little avatar perhaps just arrived in migration. Better than yours his/her chances are.

"In Nevada, Ms. Egbert says she eventually realized she could only harvest mud at certain times of the year. When her father, David Jamieson, bought the 144-acre ranch 12 years ago as a place to train falcons, she says she immediately noticed the high quality of the mud created from hundreds of geothermal springs on the property."

^ i can create one on your behalf for a small fee ... account creation - complete with mock email account depending on the TOS of your particular forum. i'm sure there's a post per day package that will fit your needs.

Damn! dude yer everywhere!but seriously, I don't have a sock. does this make me weird? I figure I'd get found out real quick, or take myself to seriously and hold long inane arguments with myself. Or be accused of being one of Simon's socks.

.......................................................................................Oh yeah, this year I was totally twerping out at the fence. ~Lonesombri